Belarus - Prime Minister of Belarus urges more investment in small-scale power generation

The work on raising investment into small-scale power generation should be stepped up, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky said when visiting the mini-hydroelectric power plant on the Chizhovskoye water reservoir. The hydroelectric power plant is being currently commissioned.

"We need to make this sector a lucrative business. This is the task set out by the President," The Prime Minister said. First thing we need to create the conditions for attracting investment into the construction of hydroelectric power plants.

Most favorable conditions should be created for investors regardless where they come from. "Let them be from China, Belarus or any other country. Our task is to attract private capital, make best use of natural resources, turn them into money rather than talks," he said.

Sergei Sidorsky instructed the Energy Minister to look into the ways of improving conditions for investors. "You are a monopolist today. You produce electricity and sell it at your own prices," the Prime Minister said. Yet we need to attract investors and develop private initiative in the small-scale power generation sector. Belarus is ready to provide certain privileges to investors. According to him, these can be exemption from taxes on land and some other preferences.

Speaking about the projects in small-scale power generation including the construction of mini-hydroelectric power plant, Sergei Sidorsky added that such facilities should be simple and affordable.

The Prime Minister suggests revising the program on the development of small-scale power generation in Belarus. "We will revise the program for 2011-2015. We will revise it this year so that we could construct the facilities by ourselves and provide such a possibility to investors," Sergei Sidorsky said.

He also urged to intensify the work on developing household waste and sludge treatment facilities. "Utilities services must construct bio-gas installations and produce energy by processing such waste," the Prime Minister said.